Cigarette Use among Pregnant Women and Recent Mothers. The NSDUH Report

摘要

The Surgeon General's 2004 report on the health consequences of smoking indicates that smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of premature delivery, low-birth-weight infants, and stillbirth. The same report cites studies suggesting that women who stop smoking by the first trimester give birth to infants with weight and body measurements comparable with those of infants of nonsmokers. Other studies cited by the Surgeon General suggest that smoking in the third trimester is particularly harmful. However, there are also health consequences associated with smoking after pregnancy. Children of parents who smoke are at an increased risk for respiratory illnesses, asthma, middle ear disease, and decreased lung function.